Attachment for mowing-machines.



e. M. GROWDER. ATTACHMENT FOR MOWING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 17,1911. v

' Patented May 28, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

cDHQ o o o 08 w d 2 I mym G. M. CHOWDER. .ATT-ACHMENT FOR MOWINGMACHINES. APPLICATION FILED MAY17, 1911.

-, -1,()27,463, ,Patent edMay28,l9l2.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

G. M. GROWDER.

ATTACHMENT FOR MOWING MAOHINES.

vAPPLIOAIIOH FILED MAY 17. 1911. 4

' Patented May 28, 19 12.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Elmo/Mia's earyeJZ (mu/den COLUMBIA FLANOORAPH 10., WASHINOTON, b. C.

GEORGEJVI. CBOWDER, 0F LEBANON, ILLINOIS,

ATTACHMENT FOR MOWING-MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 28,1912.

Application filed May 17, 1911. Serial No.'627,665.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, GEORGE M. Onowonn, a citizen of the United States,residing at Lebanon, in the countyof St. Clair and State of Illinois,have invented new and useful Improvements in Attachments forMoWingMachines, of which the following is a specification. i

This invention relates to mowing machines and more particularly to themounting of the sickle bar upon the shoe.

The object of the invention is the provision of a novel cutter-head orsickle-head and its associated bearings which are so ad.- justed as totake up all lateral or vertical wear in the cutter-head and bearings andthereby keep the head from rattling in the bearings.

' A further object of the invention is the provision of a novelconnectionbet-ween the knife-head and the pitman which prevents verticalmovement of the head when reciprocated by the pitman and heretofore theconnection of the pitman with the cutterhead has been very high and whenthe pitman shoved the cut-te1head it pressed the same down upon theknife bar and, as the pitman was pulling, raised the knife-head up fromthe bar. This-caused the sickle bar to break about ten inches from theconnec tion of the pitman or directly at the end of the knife head. 1

It is the object of this invention toavoid this di'fflculty and broadlyspeaking consists in connecting the pitman as low as possible upon theknife-head and directly at the end thereof, and also in providingtheplates-so that they may be adjusted upon the head in such a manner asto take up all wear. With a construction of this type there will be noknocking or hammering and the'parts therefore naturally run lightly andsmoothly, thus making the out in the grain simpler.

Further objects of the invention will appear as the following specificdescription is read in connection with the accompanying drawings,which-form a part of this application, and in which Figure 1 is a topplan view showinga mower shoe and part of the finger-bar at tachedthereto, the knife-bar and operating pitman therefor. Fig. 2 is atransverse sec tion on the line 2-2 of Fig.1. Fig. 3 is a detail.longitudinal section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.- Fig. 4; is" ahorizontal section;

Fig. ,5 is a perspectiveview of'th'e knifehead. Fig. 6 is a sectiontaken on the line 66 of Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a detail side elevation of'thecrank pin end of the pitman with parts broken away. Fig. 8 is a detailvertical longitudinal section on the line 8-8 of Fig. 1.

. Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 represents the ordinarycutter-bar shoe to which the finger bar 2 is connected.

The cutter-bar shoe and linger bar shown herein areoo-f the ordinaryDeering type and i need no further explanation. The shoe is showngrooved, as at 3, as is ordinary for the purpose of permitting thepassage of the rivet strip 4 which holds the cutter blades inposition'upon the cutter bar and upon the cutter-head 5. Thiscutter-head comprises an integral casting with longitudinally extendingflanges or ribs 6 which are separated and which have keyed in theirlower portions, at the rear ends thereof by means of the set screws 7, atransverse pitman shaft 8. This pitman shaft projects beyond one of theflanges 6' for a purpose to be hereinafter described. r

Mounted upon the shoe2 upon one side of,

the groove 3 is a bearing block 9 having a pair of slots 10 therein toreceive the attach ing bolts 11 which pass through the shoe and blockand permit the passage of the block 9. This block carries a suitableflange 12 which is secured to the same by bolts 13 and interposedbetween the flange member and the block are suitable shims 14 which maybe removed as the head wears or as the flange wears. Mounted upon theshoe upon the opposite side of the groove from the block 9 is a bearingblock 15 having the holes 16 which areengaged by the bolts 17 forsecuring the block to the shoe.

block 15 has mounted upon it a flange member 18 which'is also slotted,as at 19, to receive the bolts 17- and is separated from the block 15 bysuitable shims 20, so that it may .be adjusted downwardly upon theflange of member 18 shouldit become loosened. The projected end of thepitman shaft-8 travels over the flange 21 and between the same the Thisflange and the flange member 18 and moves in v ina path which wouldcause said end to engage the lug 23 carried upon the flange 21, if thehead moved far enough to accomplish this result. The projected end ofthe shaft does not engage the lug at any time except when the cutter baris elevated at this time the lug acts to prevent the accidentaldisengagement of the head from the cutter-bar, the projected end of theshaft however nearly engages the lug in each rearward movement so thatwhen the cutter-bar is elevated there is only a slight drop of thesickle head which prevents binding when the cutter-bar is again throwninto operative posi tion. IVhen the shaft is brought into engagementwith the lug it is then in position to be removed from the head so thatthe pitman may be disconnected without removing the head from the cutterbar. The lug is separated a sufficient distance from the body of theblock 15 to permit the removal of the shaft when necessary. By removingthe shaft 8, the cutter head and sickle bar may be removed when it isdesired to repair the same.

The pitman 24 which connects the head with the crank pin 801: theoperating mechanism comprises bearing heads 25 and 26, each of which isprovided with arms 27 which connect the head with the wooden insertion28 which forms the body of the pitman. The head 25 is apertured, as at29, and has a slot leading into said aperture which forms an adjustingfinger 30. This adjusting finger is separated from the body of the headby shims 31 which may be removed to take up wear in the split bearing 32which is mounted in the aperture 29. The head 26 is slotted, as shown at33, and slidably mounted in the slot is a bearing block 34 which isprovided with a socket 35 in its end to correspond with a similar socket36 in the end wall of the slot. Mounted in these sockets is abearingmember 37 which is journaled upon the pitman 24. The bearingblock 34 is slotted, and passing through the slot and through the sidewalls of the head 26 is a bolt 38 which prevents lateral movement of thebearing block but permits longitudinal movement of the same within theslot 33. This hear ing block is adjustably held in engagement with thebearing member 37 by means of a wedge bolt 39 which passes throughtransverse slots 40 in the sides of the head. In

this manner the wear upon the sockets and as possible so as to obtainthe thrust and pull as nearly in line with the cutter-bar as ispossible. The tendency of the head to raise and lower with each movementof the pitman is therefore obviated to a great extent and, while thistendency cannot be entirely obviated unless the pitman travels in adirect line with the cutter-bar, the wear upon the parts is considerablylessened and means is provided for taking up this wear and therebypreventing breaking of the sickle-bar and the hammering attending looseparts.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new is 1. Incombination, a mower shoe and finger blade, a cutter-head slidablymounted thereon, bearing blocks mounted upon the shoe for adjustablyholding the head in place, a pitman shaft carried by the head, and meanson one of the blocks for engaging said shaft to limit the movement ofthe head in one direction.

2. In combination, a mower shoe, a cutter-head slidably mounted thereonand having a flange, a bearing block adjustably mounted toward and awayfrom the cutterhead and having a flange to overhang the flange on saidcutter-head, a second hearing block adjustably mounted upon the shoe andacting in opposition to the first bearing block, a pitman shaft mountedin the cutterhead and having a projecting end, means lying in the pathof the projecting end of the shaft for limiting the movement of the headin one direction, flange members overhanging the head and adjustablysecured thereto, and shims arranged between the flange members in thebearing blocks.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE M. CROIVDER.

Witnesses:

HENRY F. DESTEN, EDWARD O. MUELLER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

